Overview

• A chlorine gas discharge was reported around 3:30 pm at a facility in the Govindpura Industrial Area on August 13, triggering an evacuation and deployment of NDRF, SDRF, fire and police teams.
• Rescue teams neutralized the gas with caustic soda within an hour and treated workers and residents for eye irritation and respiratory distress, with no serious casualties.
• District Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh directed the CMHO, municipal corporation and industries department to submit findings within two days and warned of strict action if negligence is confirmed.
• Initial explanations vary between water infiltration into chemical storage, chromite oxidation and a factory owner’s claim of burning powder, leaving the exact cause under dispute.
• The incident has renewed focus on hazardous-chemical storage and emergency preparedness in a city still recovering from the legacy of the 1984 Union Carbide disaster.